France vs Belgium Semi Final Betting Tips & Match Latest

Great chance for Belgium to reach first World Cup final

France are understandably chalked up as favourites in this one – and indeed to lift the trophy on Sunday – but it’s Belgium who offer a smidgeon of value in what looks a pick ‘em.

Belgium rebounded from the surprisingly dramatic victory over Japan to do an absolute number on Brazil. It was a thoroughly deserved victory, and the decision to play Romelu Lukaku in a withdrawn role with runners getting beyond him proved inspired.

France, for their part, were unable to recreate the magic of their second-round victory over Argentina in a far more low-key success against Uruguay.

That’s no criticism, and there’s a lot to be said for conserving energy at this stage of the tournament as a Uruguay side shorn of Edinson Cavani posed very little threat to Hugo Lloris’ goal.

But France were strangely soporific and disjointed in attack. There was little from Kylian Mbappe, and the goals when they did come came via an English-style set-piece and a goalkeeping error.

They will have to improve against a Belgian side that just looks to be one step ahead of France in harnessing the vast amount of individual brilliance at its disposal.

Player for player there really is very little in this, but at the prices available and with that slight sense of tactical superiority it has to be Belgium who get the vote. We’ll play as safe as we can here and head to the ‘to qualify’ market at 11/10 rather than the 21/10 for a 90-minute victory over a France side yet to taste defeat in Russia.

If you do opt for Belgium in 90 minutes, then the better value is 11/2 for a Belgian win with both sides on the scoresheet.

It would have collected in both Belgium’s knockout games thus far as well as the group game against Tunisia. Only a desperately weak Panama side and England’s reserves have failed to score against Belgium; France, it’s fair to say, have more attacking quality than either.

With Lukaku likely to be deployed again in the role he played so effectively against Brazil the goalscorer value may lie elsewhere, specifically with those who look to run beyond him. Kevin De Bruyne is probably a point too big at 6/1, as is Eden Hazard at 13/5.